This invention relates generally to processes for constructing reinforced concrete buildings and, more particularly, to processes for constructing such buildings of multiple stories and in situ.
Constructing multiple-story buildings of reinforced concrete is a particularly cost effective form of construction in many applications. Many high rise hotels, with symmetrical shapes and a large number of identically-shaped rooms, are so constructed.
Conventional construction processes of this kind initially erect wall-, column- and slab- forms for the first story on top of a suitable foundation, after which fluid concrete is placed in the forms and allowed to cure, or harden. The forms are then disassembled from beneath the floor slab just produced and, after appropriate cleaning, reassembled on top of the same slab for subsequent use in producing a succeeding story. Since the concrete from the first story typically at this time has not yet reached its design strength, the slab is re-shored to withstand the forces imposed on it by its own weight and by the weight of the forms for the continued upward construction. Such re-shoring is typically accomplished by placing adjustable wood or metal shores beneath the recently-poured slab.
The cycle of erecting forms, placing fluid concrete in the forms, curing the concrete, and removing and reassembling the forms on top of the just-completed slab is repeated until the desired building height has been reached. Thereafter, appropriate roofing is applied and appropriate interior finishing can take place.
Although the conventional concrete construction process described briefly above has proven to be generally satisfactory in most situations, it is believed to be unduly expensive. In particular, excessive delays and labor costs are believed to be incurred in disassembling, cleaning and reassembling the concrete forms.
It should, therefore, be appreciated that there is a need for an improved process for constructing reinforced concrete buildings that avoids the need to repeatedly disassemble, clean and reassemble the forms used to produce the building's successive stories and thus substantially reduces construction costs. The present invention fulfills this need.